


Memories ~ Calzona

by onlyjustadream23



Category: Grey's Anatomy
Genre: F/F, Grey Sloan Memorial Hospital (Grey's Anatomy), Seattle Grace Hospital (Grey's Anatomy)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-17
Updated: 2021-01-30
Packaged: 2021-03-15 12:28:12
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 4,725
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28813437
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/onlyjustadream23/pseuds/onlyjustadream23
Summary: Set in season 14 before Arizona decides to move to New York with Sofia. What influences her decision to make the move?
Relationships: Arizona Robbins/Callie Torres
Comments: 8
Kudos: 19





	1. Chapter 1

**AN~ I only ever usually write on wattpad so this is all new to me but I wanted to switch it up... This is just a quick prologue to set the scene for you. It's also been a while since I last wrote anything so it might be a little rusty! Please feel free to leave your thoughts, ideas and opinions for me to read:)**

_**Arizona's POV** _

"Mommy?"

"What's wrong Sof? You're supposed to be asleep." _I quickly fumble with the lid and place it on the box that lay in my lap._

"I'm not tired."

"Really? Your excessive yawning right now and your lack of effort in school today tells me otherwise. You know, you have to start being good in school, Sofia. You know that I put you first, I always will, but it's going to be very hard to keep my job if I have to keep leaving early because your school keeps phoning me." _Seeing her big brown eyes soften and a stray tear roll down her cheek, I bin off my 'bad cop' act that Callie once told me was 'shockingly shit' and decide to let our daughter off the hook._

"Sorry mommy."

"No, no Sofia, I'm sorry, okay? Hey, how would you like a mommy and Sof movie night? Your choice, of course." 

"Can we watch Mama's favourite please?" _Of course that's what she wants to watch. She's obviously referring to Callie's favourite childhood movie... adult would be inappropriate._

"Yeah, sure." _I set Matilda up whilst Sofia retrieves my duvet from my bedroom._

"What's that, mommy?" _Oh, shit. I was supposed to put that away._

_I decide to suck it up and share the box with my daughter. Besides, she's the only reason that I kept it._

"It's a keepsake box." _I reach to take it off of the coffee table._

"Keepsake?"

"Like a memory box. You put special things in there to remind you of things that happened in the past."

"Can I see inside? What things are you remembering in there?" _Her innocence melts me and suddenly guilt takes over. She's just this sweet, innocent, pure little 7 year old that has lost so much in her short life. As her parent I had one job, to protect her. To protect her from any more loss, any more suffering and to protect her from losing that innocence whilst she's so young. She should be seeing the world as this crazy little fluffy cloud of cotton candy with all rainbows and lollipops. Instead, she's living each year split between two very different homes, spending half the year without her mama and the other half without her mommy, bouncing between two very different schools and trying to explain her situation to her friends each time she has to up and leave._

_I pull her into my side and hold her tightly with one arm, using my spare to open the box back up._

"Of course you can. There's a lot though, Sof. So only if you're ready for a story time." _She nods excitedly and my guilt flushes a little. No matter what I did to mess up, she still looks at me like I make the whole world go round._


	2. One

_**Arizona's POV** _

"Okay, first up we have baby Sof." _I hold out the photo of baby Sofia connected up to wires and tubes in the hospital._ _The memories of this day come crashing back, pun half intended._

"What are all the wires for mommy?" _We have explained to Sofia that she was very poorly when she was born, but what age is deemed old enough to understand something so traumatic?_

"Remember mama and I told you that you were poorly?"

"I think. Why was I poorly?"

"We got in a car accident whilst you were still in mama's tummy. Mama was very, very poorly and so the doctors had to deliver you early."

"Like when mama delivered us donuts for your birthday but they were very early?" _Okay, I had forgotten about that. At the end of Sofia's first visit back here with me, Callie had flown over to pick her up. It was a whole month before my birthday, but donuts on my birthday was always a thing and Sofia wouldn't be here for my birthday, so Callie gave me a tray of donuts as an early birthday celebration. We were obviously being friendly at that point, because we both realised we needed to grow up for our daughter's sake._

"Kind of, sweetie. But donuts being delivered early is much better than a baby being delivered early. Babies should be in a mama's tummy for around 9 months, because that's where they have to grow. Because you were very early, you didn't have enough time to grow. You had to stay in hotel hospital   
for a while until you were big enough for the outside world."

"What's hotel hospital?"

"That was just mommy being silly. It's what mommy and uncle Alex call the NICU at the hospital. You know how we work with all the poorly babies? That's where you stayed."

"Did you and uncle Alex look after me at hotel hospital?"

"Mommy wasn't really allowed to, because doctors aren't supposed to look after their family in the hospital. I did spend all my time switching between seeing you and seeing mama, though. Uncle Alex looked after you a lot."

"Mama stayed in hotel hospital too?" 

"She did, for a long time, just like you. Oh, look, this is you and mama the day that you were allowed home from hospital." _I feel tears threatening to spill from my eyes as I pull out the photo of Sofia and Callie. It was taken moments before Bailey delivered the news that scared us just as much as it excited us._

"Mama's smile..." _Our daughter points to it, trailing off._

"Is the prettiest? You're not wrong."

"Huh, mommy told me that yours is the prettiest. Who do I believe?"

"Between you and me Sof, you believe me. Mama's smile could light up this whole room." _I tell her matter-of-factly._

"Not anymore though, maybe I'll have to wait until I next see her. Then I'll decide. I'll tell you if you win." _She shrugs._

"What do you mean, not anymore?" _I don't want to pry, it's not my right anymore. But, when it affects Sofia the way it clearly is, then I'll ask all the questions necessary._

"Mama doesn't smile now." _She says it so innocently, like it's just a known fact._

"Why not, Sof?" _I knew that she broke up with Penny not too far down the line, but she told me that it was mutual and she had been contemplating the idea for a while before anyway._

"She said that Seattle stole it, didn't she?" _Again, spoken in a tone that says I should've known that._

"It did?"

"Yeah. That's why you still have your super magic smile, isn't it mommy? Because you're still in Seattle." _Not sure I'd call it a super magic smile anymore. In fact the only time I really smile these days is when it's my turn to have Sofia._

"Of course it is, baby." _I'll check in on Callie later._

"What's this bracelet for?" _Her hospital bands. Sofia Robbin Sloan Torres written on one, with her birth date just below. The other... the other hurts my heart. Baby of C Torres, M Sloan, A Robbins penned across it neatly._  
 _When the NICU team had asked us her name, we had already picked out Sofia. We hadn't even considered how we'd squeeze each of our names into hers. We waited a few days whilst Callie was still in and out of consciousness, and her first thought was that Robbin would make for a cute middle name. None of us liked the sound of a double-barrelled surname, but Callie wanted to have the same as Sofia, so ultimately decided with Sloan Torres. After I showed Callie the first few photos of our daughter in the tiny hospital crib, she sent me off to draw a heart beside Sofia's name._

"Those were the bands that the doctors put on your ankles, once we had named you. It's to help tell the babies apart, plus they make for a cute keepsake. Mama was too poorly to come and see you, so she asked me to go draw a heart next to your name, so you knew she loved you."

"But I know mama loves me." 

"We know, we know. And you should know that mama will always love you, just like mommy will. But mama was poorly and scared. She just wanted you to know."

"Ew, is that what I think it is?" _It takes me a second to figure out what she's looking at since it's so small. Then the penny drops and the laughter erupts._

_"Yes, yes it is."_

"Why did you keep my fingernails?" _Could be worse, Callie has her toenails._

"Your daddy was crazy. But he was very soft when it came to you, Sof. He made an event out of the day we first cut your nails. Mama was about to put them in the bin, but your daddy wouldn't let her. He said that we had to keep them because they were your first." _She laughs with me, before gagging when one escapes the tiny clear bag that they were stored in._

"Gross."

"That's what we said. We had the same celebration when you had your first hair cut too, because we knew your daddy would've wanted one anyway."

"Did he make you keep that too?" _She giggles. It's been a while since I've seen our baby laugh and smile so genuinely._

"He didn't, little miss. Your daddy passed before we were ready for your first haircut. After he made us keep your nails, we decided to keep lots of your firsts."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AN~ First few memories covered. I have some sad and some happy to include, if anyone has any particular memories/ideas for objects to include in the box, please feel free to let me know! The wattpad version of this story does have the relevant photos included so I'm working my way through to describe each photo for on here. If I ever forget to describe it, hopefully Arizona's story telling gives you an idea! Let me know what you think so far.


	3. Two

_**Arizona's POV** _

"Oh, I have this in my bedroom at mama's. It's my favourite picture with you, mama and daddy." _Our 7 year old smiles proudly at the photograph of Callie, Mark and I holding Sofia in our living room. Big banners behind us to welcome my girls home. I do often wonder what her New York bedroom looks like. Does she have Seattle memories on display? In their home itself? Memories of when Callie and I were still very much a family with our daughter._

"You do? That's good, because it's one of my favourite photographs too."

"I do! That's crazy, mama told me that too!" 

"That's because we didn't get to have to many photographs with your daddy that we're all in, sweetie."

"I know, mama only has one photo story thing of them." _Of course she does. The photo album is completely dedicated to photos of Mark, Sofia and at least one of either Callie or myself. She wanted to be able to look back on the three of us winging it with our dysfunctional, as we liked to call it, little family._  
 _I don't have any words to respond with, feeling a pang in my heart at the sadness of the reason behind the lack of photos._

"Mommy, why did you keep a rock for? You and mama always tell me to leave them at the park because they are 'useless trash' remember?" _In her defence, her impression was on point. A mix of mine and Callie's tones thrown in. In our defence, she does pick up at least 5 rocks or stones every time we visit a park._

"Because it's a keepsake, Sof."

"But not when I want to collect them?" _She pouts and I can't decide whether she's learnt that trick from myself or her mama._

"Well, it depends on why you're keeping them, I guess." _How have I even ended up in a debate over whether I should take my 7 year old to the park to empty it of it's rocks?_

"Well I only kept 2 anyways. But they aren't useless trash mommy, I promise." 

"What made you keep those 2 rocks, bug?"

"I have a Seattle rock, and a New York rock. I stole a rock from the hospital where you save tiny humans so that I can remember it when I stay with mama. I just did the same with a rock from mama's new hospital. It's just in my bedroom, to remind me of mama when I stay here with you." _Okay now I'm melting. When did she become so grown up and when did her heart get so big? Once upon a time it was so small that they didn't think she would make it through the night._

"Sof that's so sweet. You can show me your New York rock when I tuck you back into bed." _I tell her proudly. When I next speak to Callie I'll have to remember to talk about the size of our baby's heart._

"I will! Oh, mommy, you didn't tell me why you kept this one, silly!"

"You're right, I didn't. Your daddy used to play rock, paper, scissors with mama and I to make decisions when it came to looking after you."

"How do you mean?" _She snuggles closer to me, listening to my story animatedly._

"All the smelly nappies, cleaning up your baby sick, deciding who got to have a night out and who was on baby Sof duty... We used to play rock, paper, scissors to decide. You know how daddy was in the plane accident with me?"

"I do." _She has a frown on her face, probably at the memory of being told about my leg and what the crash had caused for her daddy._

"Whilst we were waiting for help, daddy and I played rock, paper, scissors. The winner got to have the first cuddle with you when we got home." _She laughs a little at the silliness of it all. Agreed, it sounds it right now... but back then, back when we had no idea when or if we would make it home, Sofia was our light. Callie too, of course._  
 _What I won't tell our innocent daughter, is that Mark had given me the rock to remember him and our parenting skills in case he didn't make it home. She doesn't need to hear that. Callie and I were honest about what happened to her daddy to an extent._

"So who won?"

"Mommy did, of course. Daddy was never any good at rock, paper, scissors." _I laugh at all the memories of mine and Callie's wins. I also feel a stray tear escape my eye at the fact that Mark never got a cuddle, never mind the first. We took Sofia to see him briefly whilst he was unconscious, hoping that he would sense her or something and wake up. Plus of course, there was the time that Jackson snuck Sofia down to see him before having to have her taken away as quickly as they had got there._

"I get that from daddy then, huh?" _She huffs with a roll of her big brown eyes._

"You do?"

"Mama always uses that game to stop me from 'answering back' when she tells me to do things." _I laugh at this, not even surprised that this is Callie's go to._

"Oh really?"

"Yeah! Usually if I don't want to go to bed yet or when I don't want to get dressed for school. Don't tell mama, but I think she cheats." _Another sassy huff._

"Oh she definitely does, doesn't she? Cheeky mama!" _I know first hand how good at cheating Callie is, because she so used to cheat when we were 'competing.' She may or may not have also taught me._

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AN~ Their rock paper scissors settlements used to be my favourite, so I couldn't not include something. If anyone has any further ideas for this story please feel free to let me know! Also, if anyone has any long-ish Calzona stories that they're enjoying and would recommend, I would love to hear them! I've really gotten back into reading recently!


	4. Three

_**Sofia's POV** _

"Mommy, can you show me the photos in that one please?" _I give her the photo pouch from the bottom of the box._

"Of course, Bug. This one is from the day mama and I got married." _I think this made mommy sad, she sounds sad._

"Was I there?"

"You were, but you were so tiny that grandma held you in her arms throughout the ceremony."

"And what about that one?" _I don't want her to be sad, so I change it to the next picture._

"Remember I said that the plane accident changed me?" 

"Yeah."

"I spent lots of time being sad in my bed and didn't come out much. Mama came home from work one time and I was playing with you, we were having a dance party."

"Because dance parties make it all better?"

"Well, they can't always, sweetie. But they do help. Your mama taught me that on our first date."

"When I have to go to New York, I'll see if a dance party works." _I hope I remember that when I go to see mama._

"This photo was taken on your mama's first day back at work, after you were born. Your daddy was looking after you, and he knew that mama and I missed you. Every time mama heard a baby cry, it made her want to see you. So your daddy brought you to see us."

"I wish I could remember him, my daddy."

"I know, Sof. We wish you could too. That's why we kept so many photos and things for you to remember him by." _I cuddle into mommy and she holds me a bit tighter._

"Mommy, why does your face look like that there?" _I laugh, pointing at her in the photo._

"It was our first Valentine's Day after you were born. I won rock, paper, scissors so your daddy looked after you for the night. Your mama planned the whole night away for us. We all know that mommy isn't an outdoors person and I thought mama had planned for us to go camping. It was a surprise and that's why I have the blindfold on, but I was scared that I was going to have to sleep in a tent all night."

"Where did mama take you really?"

"To spend the night in uncle Derek's trailer. She cooked me dinner and then breakfast the next morning."

"What did you do?"

"Uh, games. We played games. And we ate... some things."

"That sounds fun, mommy."

"It was, it really was."

_**Arizona's POV** _

_I watch as Sofia studies the next photo carefully._

"What's happening there?"

"Remember I used to wear wheely shoes?"

"Yes! I remember uncle Alex told me that you crashed into him one time when he was kissing his girlyfriend." _Sofia's use of the word 'girlyfriend' always tickles me._

"Oh he did, did he? Well uncle Alex shouldn't have been sucking face in the corridor of a hospital."

"But didn't you and mama used to do that too?" _Is there anything that Karev didn't tell our daughter?!_

"This is another of my favourite photos." _I change the subject, my eyes scanning over the family photo. It's of Callie and me with one year old Sofia. We were in Meredith's back yard for Zola's mini birthday party._

"I miss mama." _I stiffen at the sadness in her voice and turn to kiss the top of her hair._

"I know you do, Sof. I miss her too." _I didn't expect that to slip out, but I do. Looking through all the memories of all the times we shared is only making me realise just how much I miss the brunette._

"She misses you."

"Sofia, we talked about this. Mama is doing just fine in New York without me, okay?"

"But me and mama talked about this too and she does. Mama doesn't even like New York. I only like my teachers and mama over there."

"It's getting late, Bug. Pick two more things to look at and then we'll call it a night."

"Why did you keep that? Is there poop in there?" _I can't help but laugh at Sofia as she gestures to the tiny diaper._

"Of course there isn't, silly. We kept it because that was the first sized diaper that you had. We could only get them from the hospital because they had to be extra tiny since you were extra tiny. Even the shops didn't sell diapers small enough for baby Sofia." _I watch my daughter pick up the diaper and set it in the palm of her small hand._

"It even fits in my hand. That's really small!"

"It is, but you used to fit in the palm of my hand, so it had to be."

"Did you write a book, mommy?" _Sofia sets it back in the box gently before pulling out the hand made booklet._

"Not quite, Sof. When mama was carrying you in her tummy, your daddy and I wanted to make sure she was eating properly. It's very hard to do that when you work at the hospital. You see how busy we are. We don't always have time to eat our meals. So daddy and I found lots of new recipes and used to cook something new for mama most days that we could. I put them into a little book so that we wouldn't lose them."

"We should cook some of them soon." _She smiles lightly._

"Of course. Don't tell your mama though, they probably haunt her." _I laugh at the memory._

"Do I really have to go to bed now?"

"You do, sweetie. It's extra late now."

"Even if I win rock, paper, scissors?"

"Even if you win rock, paper, scissors. That isn't going to work on me, cheeky." _She's clever, I'll give her that._

......

_'Sorry for texting so late. Sof wanted you to know that she loves you more than the world and she misses you'_

_I text Callie once our daughter is finally asleep._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AN~ Okay I'm really not sure about this chapter, but it's been a week so I wanted to update. Also I wanted to get to the good part. I also found it difficult writing in Sofia's POV because I don't usually attempt it but figured there's no harm in trying. It was honestly so sad looking back at iconic moments to include in the box and I definitely need grey's to at least mention how Callie and Arizona are getting on! Please let me know what you think and whether I should bother to keep updating this story:)


	5. Four

_**Arizona's POV** _

Within a few moments, my phone begins to ring. At midnight?

"Hello?"

_'Arizona, hi.'_

"Callie, it's 3am in New York. What are you doing awake?"

_'I'm at work.'_

"Oh, okay. Even still, why are you ringing me at 3am your time?"

 _'Why is Sofia awake at midnight?"_ She throws back, a little defensively.

"Okay one, she isn't. Two, I'm not mad that you phoned, Callie. You don't need to get defensive."

_'Right, I'm sorry. It's been a mad shift and I still have 3 hours left. How come you texted me so late?'_

"Because Sof couldn't sleep, so she came out for a cuddle with me. We talked about some things and then she wanted me to cuddle her until she fell asleep. She told me to tell you those things before she drifted off, but I wanted to wait until I knew she was in a deep enough sleep before I left her room."

_'Is she okay?'_

"She misses you."

_'Yeah, I miss her too.'_

"I know you do."

_'Yeah...'_

We both stay silent for a moment and I can hear the apprehension in Callie's breathing.

"Ask away."

 _'Huh?'_ She responds way to quickly.

"You're dying to ask me something, so go ahead."

_'I don't have any questions.'_

"So you just called me for no reason? Callie, if this conversation is going to get anywhere then just tell me what you're thinking."

_'You said you talked about some things. About why she couldn't sleep?'_

"No. The only thing she said about that was that she just wasn't tired." 

_'Oh...'_

"I was looking through my keepsake box when she came out to see me." I sigh softly.

_'The one that has Sof's-'_

"That's the one. She thought that was disgusting, by the way." We both laugh at the memory of Mark making us keep our daughter's nail clippings.

_'I can't say I blame her.'_

"Because she couldn't sleep, she wanted me to go through the box and share some memories with her. I forgot how much of a big heart our baby has, Callie." Instead of sinking back in my bed, I head out to sit on my couch. I feel like this conversation is something that Callie and I really need, even if it is 3am her time and midnight mine.

_'It's crazy. She's so beautiful and pure. We fucked up so bad and she still came out so good.'_

"We did. We really did. Sofia worries about you a lot, you know?"

_'About me?'_

"Yeah huh. Especially whilst she's so far away from you."

_'I'm sure she worries about you just as much when she's all the way over here.'_

"I'm not sure, Seattle hasn't stolen my smile." I smile lightly, remembering our daughter's words from earlier.

_'What do you mean?'_

"Sof... She told me that she hasn't seen your smile for a while."

_'She said that?'_

"Mhmm. Something like 'mama said that Seattle stole her smile' actually."

_'Oh.'_

"So uh, for your sake just as much as Sofia's, please talk to me."

_'Arizona, I really am fine. I've been stressed with work recently, I'll promise to smile as soon as she's home.'_

"We talked about hotel hospital." I could sense the lump in her throat so decided to change the subject for now.

_'You did?'_

"We did. We looked through lots of the photos. Hotel hospital photos were of course in there."

_'Remember when she was that small?'_

"How could I not? We looked at her hospital bracelets, her first sized diaper, obviously her nails. She had a look through some of our photos too."

_'I bet it was all crazy to her. Especially looking through our photos. A lot has changed since those were taken.'_

"It was. We talked about Mark a lot too. She wishes that she could remember him." I sigh, realising as soon as the sentence leaves my mouth that the stressed brunette probably doesn't need to hear that right now.

_'It kills me that he was taken from her so early. Her life could be so different if he was still here.'_

"Could you imagine splitting her years 3 ways?"

_'God, no.'_

"We'd have to go two years at a time without her. That really would break me. I just about manage the one." I laugh, though a shiver runs down my spine at the thought.

_'Mark wouldn't have let me leave.'_

"Nope, but pathetic little Arizona did..." I trail off. I don't think that's what Callie was getting at, but it still cuts me that I did let her leave. I really did just want her to be happy.

_'You're not pathetic.'_

"Can I get that in writing please?" I laugh again, my nervous habit.

_'If I uh, if I remember correctly, you certainly didn't just let us go. Especially not Sof.'_

"Yeah, the court case... Don't remind me."

 _'Not your best moments, no... But, you proved how much of a mom you really are to my baby. I already knew, of course I did, but to see that you really would go to the ends of the earth for her? You're an incredible mom and I'm glad she got you.'_ I can't recall having a genuine conversation with Callie like this in years. I always thought she hated me for the custody battle and always would. I never knew she looked at it from a completely different perspective.

"Thank you. Thank you Callie. I didn't realise how much I needed to hear that." I didn't.

_'She's lucky to have you, and I'll always stand by that.'_

"She's lucky to have you too, you know?"

_'I hope that she sees it that way too. Listen, Arizona, I have to go but-'_

"I'm sure she will. Of course, sorry for keeping you so long."

_'Don't be, I'm only monitoring. If anything, thank you for the company.'_

"Any time." I smile, knowing she can't see it anyway.

 _'Good, because I was going to ask if we can do this again sometime soon.'_ I can hear the reserve in her tone.

"You were?"

_'I was. Don't feel like you have to, but I enjoyed talking to you. We haven't had a conversation that doesn't revolve around flight details or school reports in forever.'_

"No, no, I'd like that."

 _'Oh, okay. Uh, I'll obviously be facetiming with Sof tomorrow, maybe we can speak after to arrange something?'_ I didn't think she meant actually plan a time and date to talk.

"Perfect. Bye Callie."

_'Bye, Arizona.'_

"Oh, and for the record, Callie... Seattle didn't steal my smile, but New York did." I hang up before she can respond, deciding to let her think about my words.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I didn't really know where to go with their phone call, but I knew how I wanted it to end, so I hope it turned out okay! Will Arizona be brave enough to broach the subject of Callie's missing smile? Will she confide in Callie about Sofia's mind working in overdrive to try and make her mama happy again?


End file.
